Reusable dish/bowl food covers

ABSTRACT

Reusable dish/bowl food covers have light, thin shell structures are invented. The covers&#39; configurations are generally like up-side-down dishes or bowls. They have top wall(s) for user easy to handle, and leveled top surface(s) for user easy to stack the covered dishes/bowls. They are transparent such that users can see the food being covered.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, plastic wrap is used to temporarily cover food on a dish or in a bowl. Since the wraps and their packages are disposable items, resources are wasted only after a brief use. People sometimes also use a regular dish or a bowl to cover the food. However, it can be quite cumbersome in handling. People also use plastic food container or lid to cover the food. However, other than the size problems, their complicated rims may also pose cleaning difficulties. For the environment and for convenience, reusable dish/bowl food covers are invented to greatly replace the plastic wraps and their packages. The covers have different sizes suitable for different needs, and can be easily handled and cleaned. The covered dishes/bowls can be easily stacked. Besides, they are transparent and users can easily see the food being covered.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Reusable dish/bowl food covers have configurations generally like up-side-down thin shell structured dishes or bowls.

One objective of the invention is to allow the user to easily handle the covers.

Another objective of the invention is to allow the user to easily stack up the covered dishes/bowls.

Yet another objective is to have simple configurations for easy cleaning.

A further objective of the invention is to have transparent covers such that users can see the food being covered.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is the top view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is the A-A section view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is the top view of another design for the invention.

FIG. 4 is the B-B section view of another design for the invention.

FIG. 5 is the top view of yet another design for the invention.

FIG. 6 is the C-C section view of yet another design for the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The configuration of the invention is described as follows.

FIG. 1 shows the top view of the invention, a dish/bowl reusable food cover. The cover has a circular top with top wall 1. The upper surface of top 4 is flat.

FIG. 2 shows the A-A section view of the invention. The cover is a light, thin shell structure. The top wall 1 is high enough, about 0.5 in, and the diameter of the upper surface of top 4 is small enough, about 3.5 in, for the user to easily grab. The diameter of the upper surface of top 4 is large enough for a covered dish/bowl to stack on it safely. The rim 2 has a simple configuration for easy cleaning. The angle between the rim wall 3 and a rim plane 5 is greater than 45 degrees. With this angle, the user may easily use the rim wall 3 to push food chunks aside thus to allow the rim to have a closer contact with the dish/bowl. Besides, when the angle is greater than 45 degrees, the inner surface of the rim wall 3 as well as the rest of the inner surface of the cover can have a lesser chance to be soiled by the food than when the angle is lesser than 45 degrees. Other than the requirement for the height and diameter of the top 4, the dimensions of the rest portions of the cover, like the diameter of the rim 2, can be varied to form a set of the covers of different sizes. It is understood a cover may be used for dishes/bowls of different sizes, even with different amount of food in the dishes/bowls.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show another design of the invention. In the design, the rim wall 13 is curved, and between the top wall 11 and the rim wall 13, one or more step walls, like the step wall 12, can be added to make a larger cover. Because the cover is a thin shell structure made of plastic material, the step wall 12 and the curved rim wall 13 can also help keeping the cover in shape.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a yet another design of the invention which has two concentric tops 26 and 27 with top walls 21 and 22 respectively. The upper surfaces of the tops 26 and 27 are flat and leveled. For a large cover, the concentric top walls 21 and 22 can also help keeping the thin shell structured plastic cover in shape. 

1. A reusable dish/bowl food cover having a thin shell structure with a single circular flat top, a high top wall, a simple rim configuration, and being transparent.
 2. Said cover according to claim 1 having one or more step walls.
 3. Said cover according to claim 1 having a rim wall which forms an angle greater than 45 degrees with a rim plane.
 4. A reusable dish/bowl food cover having a thin shell structure with two concentric circular flat tops, two high top walls, a simple rim configuration, and being transparent.
 5. Said cover according to claim 4 having one or more step walls.
 6. Said cover according to claim 4 having a rim wall which forms an angle greater than 45 degrees with a rim plane. 